Neighborhood Improvement Advisory Council

Neighborhood Improvement Advisory Council Meeting Minutes Thursday, May 10, 2017 7:00 P.M. City Hall Annex, 120 Washington Street, 3rd Floor Members Present: Pat Liberti (Gallows Hill), Barbara Mann (Greater Endicott Street), Jerry Smith (Salem Common), Nina Cohen (Chestnut Street), Ann Sterling (Northfields), Christian Haselgrove (Historic Derby Street), Flora Tonthat (Bridge Street Neck), Jim Kearney (Historic Essex Street) Staff Present: Dominick Pangallo (Mayor’s Chief of Staff) Guests Present: Emily Ullman & Laura Assade, David Knowlton Approval of March 16, 2017 Meeting Minutes: Approved Public Comment: None. Council Updates: HDSNA-Matt Smith and Peter Furniss spoke at a recent meeting about the ongoing challenges from Footprint worker traffic and the status of the plant. Northfields-McGlew Park meeting on May 16. HESNA-Alex Marks has been selected to be the new association president. Chestnut-Encouraged others to visit the park on Chestnut Street. Also, still working on traffic calming ideas. Common-July concerts and movie nights announced. Hoping for progress on new benches and bandstand. Requested City try to get newspaper boxes relocated. Arch landscaping/hardscape in need of funding. Curb dog signs requested for Collins Cove beach. BSNA-Update requested on Bridge Street utility work for complete streets project and question about paying for parking at new Jail lot. Winter Street pedestrian signals are in. Gonyea Park needs some trees removed. BSNA and MPNA holding a joint Ward 2/Ward 6 candidates forum, date TBA. Promoted Salem Arts Festival. GESNA-Endicott/Prescott one- way pilot starting shortly, watch for signage and police details. Gallows Hill-Any updates on CinemaWorld project? Cars run red light and block the intersection at Highland and Olde Village Drive. Two problem properties on Butler Street. Guest Speakers: Emily Ullman and Laura Assade provided an update on a new youth-led immigration community dialogues effort being jointly organized by the Salem Public Schools and the Salem Youth Commission, with support from Open Door Immigration Services and funded by the Nellie Mae Foundation. Students are being trained to facilitate a series of community conversations over the summer across the city. The topic will be immigration and the students will work in teams of two. Neighborhood associations are invited to help coordinate the conversations and Emily will be reaching out to ask for assistance. David Knowlton provided an update on the current status of the Canal Street Roadway Improvement Project, including a summary of the interrelated drainage project. He shared details about the upcoming closure of part of Canal Street for a major reconstruction, for a length of the street from Ocean to Forest. The group also spoke with David about the related improvements that will be carried out at Forest River Park and possibility of FEMA flood insurance reductions that may be available to residents of the area after the flood project is complete. City Updates: Barring any issues with National Grid, which needs to complete a utility line relocation in order for construction to commence, we expect foundation work at the Community Life Center to get underway in July, with vertical construction commencing shortly thereafter. The contractor’s goal is to have the building up and watertight at the roof before Thanksgiving Zagster: launches May 16th with initially three stations (MBTA/courthouses, Front Street, and Ferry wharf). Stations coming later this summer to SSU and possibly a few more locations thanks to a sponsorship from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, which will find 1.5 stations. Unlike Salem Spins there is an hourly fee or an annual membership, but we’re keeping it as low as feasible. Bikes are checked out either by app or by requesting an unlock code by text message. The Zagster program includes maintenance, rebalancing, and, for the city, data on ridership. Details: https://www.salem.com/home/news/city-salem-launch-new- salem-bike-share Summer park programs: o Furlong and Mary Jane Lee Playground will be staffed from July 5th – August 18th. Instructors will be on site to provide supervised activities from 9:00 am – 12:00 and 1:00-4:00pm. This is a drop-in program, with no cost. o The Forest River Adventure Program will run from July 5th – August 18th from 8:00-4:00 daily. Children may register per week, 7 weeks offered. Weekly cost is $130.00 with a sibling discount of $85.00 per week. Children are grouped by age, and participate in a variety of activities. o Enrichment Programs at Palmer Cove: Through a grant with the City of Salem Department of Planning and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, we will be offering a series of enrichment programs this summer at Palmer Cove. The programs are free for Salem children. Yoga and Meditation – July 10th -13th 9:30-10:30 am Art Workshop – July 17th – 20th and July 31st – August 3rd 9:30- 11:00am Beginners Guitar – August 7th – 10th 9:30-10:30 am Hip Hop Dance – August 14th – 17th 9:30-10:30 am Summer Meals program: up to 13 sites this year, starts July 6 and runs until August 25. Kids under 18 eat free, no enrollment or paperwork. Most sites will be lunch, a few will have breakfast or supper, all on weekdays. Precise dates and times will be announced in the next few weeks, but the sites are: Bentley, Farmers Market, Forest River Park, Furlong, Bowditch, On Point, Pequot Highlands, Rainbow Terrace, Saltonstall, Salem High School, Salem Public Library, Tabernacle Church, and Winter Island. To find a site you can check out the Salem Summer Meals Facebook page, text “FOOD” to 877877, or download the “Summer Eats” app. July 4th festivities: Planning is underway for Salem’s Celebrate the 4th event, complete with free children’s activities, a ‘POPS’ concert, and a spectacular fireworks display shot right from Derby Wharf. This year Annie Brobst, who has been voted the 2016 & 2017 New England Country Music Award's Female Artist of the Year, will be performing with her band on main stage beginning at 5:00 p.m. This year we bid goodbye to Reverend Phil Wyman from the The Gathering and Matt Kaminski from the MeetingHouse Church, who have spearheaded our popular Kids' Space area filled with free face painting, games, and crafts for little ones. They have reached out to a few other area churches to help staff this area from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. If any neighborhood group or individual would to volunteer, please contact Ellen Talkowsky. Celebrate the 4th is one of Salem' premier events and allows us to showcase our historic city while providing arts, culture and history in a totally free, family-friendly atmosphere while celebrating our country’s Independence Day. This event costs almost $60,000, and private fundraising efforts are on-going. Donations large and small accepted, so if you know any company or individual that might like to make a donation to this event, please let me know. Salsa Sundays on the South River, Fire Pit Fridays at the Willows, and the Winter Island Pop-Up Drive-In will all be returning this summer. Dates and details will be posted at www.salem.com as they are finalized. Next Meeting: Wednesday, July 12, 2017, 7:00 p.m. Adjournment: 8:45 p.m.